The Bells and Ringers of All Saints' Church
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THE BELLS AND RINGERS OF ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH LLANBRADACH SOUTH WALES (Now hung in Kingstone, Herefordshire) by Andrew Giles BSc (Hons) Published and Printed by Andrew Giles 1999 ISBN………………………….. All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this book may be made without written permission of the Author 1 CONTENTS Page 3 Introduction 5 Chapter 1 1911 – 1939 20 Chapter 2 1940 – 1951 25 Chapter 3 1952 – 1981 29 Chapter 4 1982 – 1985 42 Chapter 5 1986 – 1996 50 Conclusion 51 Appendix 1 Ringers Rules and Regulations 1912 54 Appendix 2 Expenses Incurred 1910 - 1951 56 Appendix 3 Local Ringers 1911 – 1986 58 Appendix 4 Peals 62 Appendix 5 Peal Ringers List 64 Appendix 6 Quarter Peals 74 Appendix 7 Quarter Peal Ringers List 78 Appendix 8 Bellringing Terminology 80 Acknowledgements 2 INTRODUCTION This book has been written primarily to document the history of the bells and ringers from 1911 to 1996, 10 years after the Church of All Saints’ Llanbradach was closed. However, I hope it will to appeal to ringers and non ringers especially those interested in what is a relatively small part of the village’s history. Technical ringing terms or ‘jargon’ are used without apology, but explanations of common bellringing terms can be found in Appendix 8. This book traces the history of the bells from installation to removal and relocation, and also looks at some of the notable performances that were achieved on them during their 75 years in the tower. It explores the local ringer’s activities and some 77 people have been identified as taking an active part in the local ringing during three distinct periods 1911 – 1934; 1945-1951 and 1982-1986. The book is dedicated to all Llanbradach ringers 1911 – 1986. Brief background of the Village The village of Llanbradach is situated between Caerphilly and Ystrad Mynach. It was once on the main thoroughfare between the two towns but these days, with the introduction of a by-pass road, travellers visiting the area could easily miss it. In 1911 when the bells were installed the population was approximately 5000. Coal and the Llanbradach Mine As with so many villages and towns in South Wales, coal was to bring jobs and therefore more people to Llanbradach. Coal was first raised at the Llanbradach mine in 1893 and at its peak it employed over 2300 men. In the early days the mine owners, Cardiff Steam and Coal Co. Limited, had a heavy influence on village life and were keen supporters of the annual flower show at which the Llanbradach Silver Band presided. By 1914 the mine had claimed the lives of 88 men and it was closed in 1961. Miss Clara Thomas Miss Clara Thomas was the last in the line of the Thomas family who had had a presence in the area for over 400 years. She was born in 1841 and died in 1914 at the age of 72. Her family had owned the land from which coal was emerging, and she played a major part in improving the welfare and religious life of the rapidly expanding village population. The Thomas family (originally from Llwynmadoc, Breconshire) are commemorated in both carved monument and a stained glass window at Llandaff Cathedral. Church activities in the village were initially held in a house in Wingfield Terrace and in 1892 a corrugated iron hall was opened as a Church and a day school, the land being donated by Miss Thomas. The Workman’s Hall now 3 occupies this site. It was soon apparent that a larger building was required and Miss Thomas came forward to donate the site on which the new Church was to stand. During a ten year period Miss Thomas provided some £15000 towards religious and educational life in the village and also donated the capital to fund a permanent Vicar in the Parish. The Building of a New Church All Saints’ Llanbradach was opened and dedicated on 2nd June 1897 and at that time formed what was to become the nave of the finished building. The work cost £2000 and christening ceremonies were authorised there from 1899. The Parish of Llanbradach was brought into being by on Order in Council held in Buckingham Palace on 7th March 1904 and was formed out of the extremities of the parishes of Caerphilly and Ystrad Mynach. A licence for marriage ceremonies was also granted at this time. The first Vicar was Rev Edwin Edwards, who had been Curate in Charge from September 1903. The Opening of the new Church, without the Tower, Chancel or Vestry 1897 In 1908 it was decided to extend the Church, adding a chancel and vestry. A tower was also proposed, and Miss Thomas promised to pay half the costs if the villagers raised the other half. (The total cost was £3500). The final stages of building were completed and the Church reopened on All Saints Day 1909. As soon as the work was completed parishioners set about raising more funds for the installation of an organ and a ring of bells and within nine months, Messrs John Taylor & Co. Bellfounders of Loughborough were contacted for advice. 4 CHAPTER 1 1911 – 1939 The Tower The tower was set on a 15-foot square base and reached a height of 66feet to the top of the turret. The architect, E M Bruce Vaughan designed the 1908 Church extension, the tower and also the Working Men’s Hall. The building contract was awarded to Messrs Turner & Sons of Cardiff and the Rev Edwin Edwards laid the final stone at the top of the tower in August 1909 Details of the Bells There were many new rings of bells being installed around the time that Llanbradach bells were cast. In the Llandaff Diocese alone there were at least three more rings of similar weight at St Martin’s Caerphilly, Christ Church Radyr, and St Catherine’s Pontypridd. Following the building of the final parts of the Church and tower the work on the installation of a ring of 8 bells was completed on 9th June 1911. Because of the relatively small internal tower dimensions, it was necessary to hang the bells on two levels. Numbers 1,3,6 and 7 were on the top layer and 2,4,5,8 underneath. The frame was installed right at the top of the tower and, even though there was a spiral staircase all the way from the ground floor to the roof, it was impossible to enter the chamber in which the bells were hung from the staircase because the iron framework passed right behind the door opening. As a result, to get to the bells one had to ascend the spiral staircase to the room above the ground floor ringing chamber, and then climb a narrow metal ladder that reached from the centre of the room to a small trap door in the floor of the belfry. This was a rather precarious ascent, and when inside the belfry there was a gap of just a few feet square to stand in (the trap door having been closed first!). The four bells on the lower level surrounded one immediately, and maintenance, particularly on the upper frame, was not for the faint hearted. The bells were cast by Messrs John Taylor & Company, Bellfounders, Loughborough and were purchased for £560. The bellfounder’s name and the date, 1911, appears on the opposite side of each bell to the inscription. Decorative ornamentation of blackberries and leaves was included around the crown of each bell. The bells were hung on plain bearings with iron headstocks, Heywood lubricators and Hasting stays. The two-tier iron frame stood on stout steel girders. 5 Bell Note Diameter Cwt Qtr Lbs Inscription 1 G 1ft 11¾in 3 0 4 Let him that is athirst come 2 F# 2ft 0½in 3 0 23 God save his Church 3 E 2ft 2 in 3 2 24 God save King George V 4 D 2ft 4 in 4 1 1 Thanks be to God 5 C 2ft 7 in 5 3 8 Praise ye the Lord 6 B 2ft 8½in 6 1 21 Edwin Edwards, Vicar 7 A 3ft 0 in 8 0 9 Parish of Llanbradach formed 1904 8 G 3ft 4½in 12 0 20 Clara Thomas, Patron and Benefactress The Dedication The bells were dedicated at a special service held on Saturday 29th July 1911 at 5p.m. The ceremony was performed by the Bishop of Llandaff, Rev Dr J Pritchard Hughes, who was assisted by the Vicar, Rev. Edwin Edwards, and the Curate, Rev. James Bevan. After the prayers of dedication the bells were rung in rounds for one minute by eight members of the Llandaff Diocesan Association of Church Bellringers. The records show that the collection was £2 7s 8d, and it was a ‘nice service and well attended.’ General ringing took place after the service and the first quarter peal, 1260 Grandsire Triples, was rung that evening by representatives of 7 local towers. Refreshments were provided by the Vicar in the Parish Rooms, and the new ‘sweet toned’ handbells that had been provided with the tower bells were demonstrated. The First Local Band A local band was formed and instruction provided by the Llandaff Diocesan Association of Church Bellringers, lead by Mr John W Jones of All Saints Church, Newport. Mr Jones was at the time Honorary Secretary of the Association (1902-1945), having been Master in 1898 and subsequently in 1948, and took a very active part in the promotion of ringing in the area.